Chapter 2
It took Remus awhile to fall asleep, the fear of one of the aliens murdering him was all consuming, but when it was quiet for almost an hour he drifted off.
He had no dreams, which was not unusual, but the sleep felt oddly deep, and he almost slept through the whole night.
That was until he felt a cold finger tapping his cheek frantically. He thought he was hallucinating so he slapped the hand away and rolled over, attempting to fall asleep again, but the tapping started going again. He rolled back onto his back and slowly peeked open an eye. What he saw was absolutely terrifying. Two black and blue, beady eyes were staring down at him,
“Ffwc!” he screamed, jumping back and hitting his head against the headboard. It was Sirius.
The black eyes stayed on him, open impossibly wider in shock, before slowly drifting down Remus’ body, a smirk growing on his face and the glitter-blush showing on his cheeks once more. Remus’ eyes followed where he was looking and he realized that he was wearing no shirt, and that Sirius was checking him out and smiling.
Remus rushed to cover himself with his blanket, and he could feel his ears and cheeks burning up in a real rosey-blush, in contrast to Sirius’ glitter cheeks.
They made eye-contact once more, and Remus raised an eyebrow at him, the smirk not leaving Sirius’ face until Remus spoke, “can I help you? It's —,” he glanced at his clock on his nightstand, “—one in the morning..”
Sirius’ face fell and he dropped his head in shame and tilted it to the side slightly. More glitter-blush showing up, this time on his shoulders too, which Remus noticed had beauty marks scattered about.
“I- I am feeling something weird..” He stammered, bringing a hand up to rub the back of his neck.
Remus waited for him to continue, but he did not, and they just sat in silence for a minute before Remus broke it once more.
“What do you mean?”
Sirius looked up at him shamefully and gulped before scrunching his nose and looking down again, “down there.. feels.. strange and it aches..”
It was silent again as Remus processed Sirius’ words. Do aliens not use the restroom??
Remus sighed and rubbed his hand across his face, wiping the sleep away before pushing his duvet off. “Follow me.. you have to use the restroom..”
The shorter boy nodded and followed Remus out of his room and across the small halfway into the bathroom. He flicked the light on and winced at the sudden brightness, and Remus shut the door behind them.
“This might be awkward, but you have to stand in front of the toilet and..” He looked around the room and crossed his arms, “pull your pants down..”
They made eye contact and Sirius nodded, walking further into the bathroom instead of standing at the door with Remus. He turned around and faced Remus before speaking, “What's a toilet?”
Remus groaned.
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After the ‘bathroom’ incident, as Remus named it in his mind, he slept relatively well. Granted, it was embarrassing for both parties involved, but Sirius said he would pass the ‘knowledge’ onto Regulus, so Remus forgot about it and moved on.
When he woke up and walked out of his room for the second time that day, he actually had a shirt on and he was fully awake. The rest of the flat was in motion already, and he heard James and Sirius chatting in the kitchen, however Regulus was sitting out on the small balcony connected to their living room.
Remus peaked into the kitchen and saw James teaching Sirius how to feed (and hopefully how to pet) the cat, in addition, two bowls of rainbow cereal were on the island. James better teach him how to do dishes too.
He walked into the living room and slid open the balcony door, before stepping onto the platform with Regulus.
The balcony, if it could even be called that, was overlooking an intersection, as their flat was on a corner, and had the view of a small park, church, and some shops. There was only enough room for a plant shelf, where Lily and James kept their ‘children’, two garden chairs, and a small table, which had an ashtray and a lantern that had no batteries resting on it.
Regulus was sitting on the chair to the right with a black journal and ballpoint pen in hand, both of which Remus recognized to be from the ‘junk cabinet’ in the hallway closet. He wondered briefly if James showed him where it was, or if he found it while snooping around. He was overlooking the city with all the people in front of the church and lazing around at the small park. Remus hoped that the pedestrians couldn't see the ‘alien’ that was currently watching them.
“What are you doing out here?” Remus questioned, turning his head back to Regulus, who was still staring ahead.
It was quiet, and Remus almost repeated the question, but before he could, Regulus looked down at the journal and started writing;
Why are those people there? What is that?
Remus read the neat, cursive handwriting and looked back up at the boy, his grey-black eyes already staring at him curiously, and Remus thought he looked oddly like Minnie.
“It's a Christian church, people go there for worship,” he explained, hoping his words made sense to Regulus. The boy started writing down what he said, but halted, and continued once more, turning the journal back towards Remus;
Who is Christian? Why are they worshipping him?
A laugh escaped Remus’ throat without his control and he slapped a hand across his mouth, not wanting the boy to think he was making fun of him. It was a good question after all.
Remus closed his eyes and took a deep breath, how could he explain this to someone who knew nothing?
He opened his eyes once more and leaned down, resting his elbows on his knees and turning to face Regulus, “it’s a religion. Basically.. shite.. it's something that people believe in.. like.. it's hard to explain.”
Regulus nodded, his eyebrows pinching together and his bottom lip getting sucked into his lip, before writing more into the journal. He seemed to be done talking to Remus, so the taller boy got up and started to head back inside, but a cold hand around his wrist stopped him. He turned back to look at Regulus who was holding the journal out to him;
Want to know more. Do you have anything I can use to learn?
A smile grew on Remus’ face at the curiosity of the boy and he nodded his head, “I might have some books inside, I will pick them out and you can look at them tonight.”
Regulus’ lips curled up slightly, and he looked down before whispering a small ‘thank you’.
“You’re welcome, Regulus,” Remus spoke before turning around and heading into the warmth of the flat.
James and Sirius were still in the kitchen, and he saw Sirius’ pale arms stretched across the island, petting Minnie who was sitting as far away from him as possible. Seeing him look so human made Remus smile, and he walked into the kitchen to join the two boys.
“Penis means dick, if you say penis people will think you’re a virgin,” James was explaining to Sirius, gesturing wildly with his arms while their stand mixed spun dough.
Sirius nodded in understanding and Remus wished he hadn't joined the conversation, “what are you telling him, James?”
They both turned to him in shock, eyes widening in similar fashion, before looking back towards each other and bursting out in laughter. Sirius’ laughter was one of the more human sounding things about him, but it still had that odd echo-y sounding effect to it.
Once they calmed down, both blushing in their own ways, they turned back to Remus and smiled.
“Only the things that matter,” James responded, as if that answered the question fully.
Remus nodded slowly and walked fully into the kitchen, allowing the two boys to continue their odd conversation. He grabbed out a mug from the upper cabinet and placed it on the coffee brewer. He turned on the machine and flipped around to lean on the counter, facing the boys.
Sirius was still intently listening to whatever James was saying, but this time James was rolling out the dough onto the counter, he was making cinnamon rolls , Remus’ brain supplied. He opened his ears and zoned back into their conversation, not joining, but just listening.
“And everyone has a penis?” Sirius asked, a perplexed look still on his face.
“No, only boys do.. Well most boys do.. But girls— most girls— have.. something else..” James muttered, getting quieter as the sentences went on, he was now cutting the roll dough into small triangles.
“Right.. And the most-girls also go pee out of their not-penis’s?”
James nodded, an encouraging smile on his face, “Right! You are starting to understand!”
Sirius woo-ed, his arms shooting above his head in celebration, before he put them back down and looked to the side, making eye contact with Remus. His cheeks and nose slightly flushed with glitter and he tucked his wild, curly hair behind his ear before smirking.
“Hey, Remus..” he teased, the smirk not leaving his face, his eyes looking Remus up and down once more, similar to how they did earlier that morning. He bit his lip, just like how his brother did, except he did it in a.. seductive way? What was James teaching him?
Remus cleared his throat and looked away from Sirius, breaking eye contact, “Good morning, Sirius..”
He heard a muffled snicker come from one of the boys, but he recognized it as James’ and snapped his head towards the darker boy.
“James, what did you teach him?”
“I told you, Remus, the things that matter ,” he responded, a sly grin on his face. Remus wanted to punch him.
The coffee machine buzzed to a stop and he took the mug off the platform and placed it on the island between Minnie and the stand-mixer. He walked to the fridge and got out the milk, pouring in a few drops before closing it and taking a sip of the warm drink.
He walked past James, passed behind the island, and sat down on the kitchen stool next to Sirius, nodding to him in greeting before placing his mug down and grabbing James’ leftover toast from his plate.
Sirius’ mimicked his nod and turned to look at James for approval, and James smiled at him once more. Maybe he wasn't that bad of a teacher after all.
The two boys started chatting again, this time about the various kitchen appliances, which Remus thought was a much more sane breakfast conversation then genitalia. He finished off the toast and his coffee and pushed the plate and mug towards James, hoping he got the message that he was not going to be washing the dishes.
“So, Sirius, I hope James’ informed you of our situation later tonight,” he began, glancing between the two boys.
James looked back down at the dough before shaking his head, “we had better things to discuss..”
Sirius nodded enthusiastically and exclaimed, “Like dicks!!”
Remus sighed and looked back at James, who was trying to pretend he did not hear a thing.
“Right.. Well me and James have friends coming over tonight, and I don't know how they would react if they saw two aliens in our living room.”
Sirius gasped and slid closer to Remus on the counter, “We are Stella Virs… not aliens.”
“Still, you guys need to go to one of our rooms for a few hours while they come over, for your safety.”
Sirius nodded and looked down at the tile countertop, a small frown growing on his face. “What if I have to use the restroom again?” He asked, looking concerned.
Remus thought about this for a second before saying, “I will set up this bead-curtain that Pandora made us, then you and Reg can use the restroom without anyone seeing you.”
The boy did not respond, but instead got up and went to Regulus, peeking his head out of the balcony and speaking to him in hushed whispers. Regulus was still doing the ‘eye-talking’ thing, but his eyebrows pinched together again and his head shot to look at Remus, who was now leaning against the kitchen archway, watching the interaction.
He looked back at his brother and communicated with him once again before getting up and following Sirius back inside.
Sirius looked almost ashamed, but he walked up towards Remus, Regulus trailing right behind him.
“Reg doesn't want to be stuck in a room with me for an extended period of time,” He complained, looking at Remus with his arms crossed like a child. Remus turned to look at James, who shrugged his shoulders before continuing with the cinnamon rolls.
Remus nodded and replied, “That's fine, he can stay in James’ room and you can stay in mine.”
The two brothers looked at eachother again and seemed to become civil once more. Regulus nodded at Remus, his new favorite form of communication, and gave a small smile. Remus returned it.
Sirius huffed and looked between the two boys, “Bitch,” is all he said before turning around and throwing himself onto the couch. Remus chuckled and headed into the living room too, gesturing for Regulus to follow him.
He led him over to the bookshelves and crouched down, skimming over the titles of the book spines. Regulus sat criss-crossed on the floor next to him and studied his movements curiously.
“A-ha..” Remus muttered, pulling two books out of the first shelf before scooting over and checking the titles of the rest of the books. He pulled out one more book and handed them over to Regulus and sat down fully next to him, “These are the books you were asking about, this ones a brief introduction to world religions, this one is on South Asian religions, and this is about branches of Christianity..” He explained, flipping through the books and handing them back to Regulus.
He had the same glitter blush on his cheeks as Sirius, except his shine was more blue than gray. A smile, one bigger than Remus had ever seen on his face, grew, and Remus could tell he was actually happy.
His head bowed down in a thank you and he got up and sat down next to Sirius, who still had a pouty look on his face.
“So, when are your friends coming over?” Sirius asked, his eyes fitting between his brother, Remus, and the stack of books on the couch between them.
Remus focused his gaze towards the boy and noticed that he was rubbing his feet in circles on their purple-red fuzzy carpet. “In a few hours, I am going to head to the store soon while James makes some snacks.”
Sirius nodded his head and looked down at the rug that his feet were on. A smirk grew on his face and Remus followed his movements as he sank slowly off the couch and onto the floor.
He cocked an eyebrow at the now face-down starfish positioned boy. “You having fun?”
“Mmm…” Sirius moaned, his eyes closing as he nuzzled more into the rug.
Regulus snickered slightly and looked away as the oven in the kitchen beeped. His head cocked to the side in curiosity.
Remus got off the floor and walked over to the couch, holding a hand out to Regulus. “Wanna see what he's doing?”
The boy looked back towards him, his curls bouncing slightly as he turned. His eyes widened, and nodded, grabbing his hand and using it as leverage to pull himself up.
Remus let go of his hand once he was standing and started walking to the kitchen, the smell of sugar leading his way, Regulus padding lightly behind him.
Minnie was still sitting on the counter, watching James as he pulled the now baked cinnamon rolls and placed them on the counter top. He was talking quietly under his breath, something he did commonly while baking, and patted the cat's head quickly before turning around and facing the two boys.
“Oh, hey Rem! Reg!” He greeted, smiling at the two of them, “they should be done soon, I just need to glaze them.”
Regulus nodded and Remus smiled, the two of them going to sit at the two stools at the island, watching James once more as he took the cinnamon roll glaze out of the fridge and got to work finishing the sweets.
He plated two of them and slid them out to the boys, a cautious look painted on his face. “It's a new recipe, so if they aren’t good, tell me.”
Remus shook his head at his insecurity, James’ food was always amazing. They both grabbed their cinnamon rolls at the same time, Remus not waiting a second to bite into the squishy sugar, but Regulus stared at it warily for a second, as if he was studying the dynamics of the treat.
The taller boy was already lost in the sugary heaven that was James’ baking, so he didn't even notice Regulus biting into the roll. A small, robotic moan echoed from the boy's throat and his eyes widened. He practically shoved the rest of the roll into his mouth and shot his head back up to James, gesturing to the tray and pushing his plate back out.
James’s eyebrows shot up teasingly. “Are they good? Do you want another?”
Regulus’ nodded his head frantically and Remus nodded in agreement. “This is a good recipe James, Pete will love them.”
James smiled and blushed before ducking his head down to plate another one for Regulus.
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“Okay, Regulus you stay in James’ room and Sirius in mine, I will bring you guys food and drinks, just don't go past the curtain.” Remus explained to the two brothers who were seated on the couch in front of him.
Their friends were going to be arriving soon, so they were preparing the aliens for the isolation they would soon be in.
“Sirius, I have a TV in my room, so you can use that, and Regulus.. James has a laptop, but you have your books anyways,” he continued, pacing back and forth, “just make yourselves comfortable, you will be in there for awhile.
They nodded again and looked very bored at Remus’ words, but it was important they understood. Right as Remus was going to add more precautions, the doorbell rang, and Marlene's voice yelled out from behind the door.
“Let us in hoes! We’re freezing our tits off out here!”
Remus’ eyes widened and he scrambled to get the boys, “Come on, go into hiding, if you need anything… Just be patient and wait for when I check on you.”
“Okay, daddy Remus.” Sirius joked, rolling his eyes at Remus as he shoved him into his bedroom.
“Shut up, don't repeat what James says to you.” He shut the door behind him and was grateful that Regulus was so obedient and locked away as he heard the door opening and James greeting Marlene and Mary, taking their coats as they entered the room.
“Hey Rem! You look dashing as always,” Mary winked, waving her fingers at him before walking into the kitchen. He was wearing a simple red henley with a white shirt under it, both of which fit him loosely, a pair of baggy, dark wash jeans, and his brown docs. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, but he still shrugged out a thank you.
Mary looked way more put together anyways, so she was the one that deserved the complement. Her outfit was a simple white, fitted long sleeve, paired with blue jeans and a brown belt, but she looked amazing.
Marlene laughed at her girlfriend's antics and followed behind her like a dog, carrying two bottles of wine.
“I told you guys you didn't have to bring anything-“ James started, but was cut off by Marlene covering his mouth with her hand.
He stuck his hands up in surrender and accepted the wine from them, placing them next to the rest of the drinks that were on the island. “Pete said he's on the way with Panda and them, so they shouldn't be too far.”
“Thank god! I need to be drunk,” Marlene said and left them all in the kitchen, throwing herself on the couch, all too similar to how Sirius did earlier. Remus followed her way, leaving James and Mary to chat alone. He sat down next to her on the couch and watched as she dug into her jean pocket and took out a pack of cigarettes, offering one to him.
“Cheers,” he said, placing the cigarette in his mouth and reaching to the table and grabbing the lighter. When he turned back to her, she was looking down at the carpet.
He offered out the lighter, but instead of leaning towards him to grab it, she bent down to the rug. “Why is there black hair on here?” She asked, and pulled up a strand of long, curly black hair out of the fuzz.
Fucking Sirius and his stupid hair.
“Oh- Must be Minnie..” He tried, but Remus was never a good liar.
Marlene gave him one of the dirtiest looks he had ever gotten and raised one eyebrow, still holding the strand of hair. “You expect me to believe that your shorthair cat shed a long strand of curly hair?”
“Well it's the truth..” Remus rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. He hoped that someone would save him.
“I'm onto you Remus Lupin.” She declared before dropping the hair onto the couch and getting up right in time for the door to open.
Barty, Evan, and Peter all flew in at once, the three of them tumbling in after each other into a big heap on their entry carpet. Behind them stood Pandora and Dorcas, each with unimpressed looks on their faces.
“We are here!” Barty declared. Dorcas stepped around the pile of men and shook her head, Pandora following in tow with a whimsical look on her face. She appeared to already be as high as a kite.
James peaked his head out of the kitchen and laughed before walking over and helping the three boys up. Remus got off the couch and walked over to greet his friends. “You guys better have weed with you.”
Peter grinned at him and pulled a bag of pre rolls out of his pocket, waving them teasingly in his face. “We already smoked one.. or two.”
“Really? I didn't notice.” Remus sassed before snatching the bag out of his hand and wandering over to the balcony, Peter following behind him.
The two of them settled down in the chairs and drifted into easy conversation as Remus smoked away. “Did Lils say when she was coming?” Remus inquired.
Pete nodded and jutted a thumb to the general direction of the living room. Remus turned around and saw that everyone was already there and drinking. He finished off the blunt and went back inside with Peter, joining his friends and listening into the conversation.
It was rare that they could all meet up together, but whenever there was a chance, they took it. They all hung out separately and in smaller groups, but when they were all together it was the best.
They could stay up all night and never lose conversation topics, but they could also sit in silence and enjoy each other's company.
Most of them met during school, but Barty, Evan, and Pandora all got introduced to them during University. Remus’ mind started to drift to the two guests currently staying with him and James. What would their friends think if they found out that two aliens were currently in the house with them? Marlene already knew too much, but she thinks that one of them is seeing a new girl. As if.
Two hours of laughter, drinking, and smoking went by before Remus decided it was time to check on the two guests. He excused himself from the group who simply waved him off, not paying much attention to what he was doing.
He grabbed two glasses of water, a cinnamon roll for Regulus, and some chips for Sirius.
His first stop was James’ room, where he found Regulus curled up in a blanket on his beanbag chair, a book in hand and noise cancelling headphones covering his ears. He didn't even acknowledge Remus as the cinnamon roll and water were placed next to him and simply reached over and started munching away at the roll.
The next stop was obviously his room, and he was a little worried to see what Sirius would be up to. However, what he did not expect to see when he opened his door was Sirius wearing only boxers— which he stole from Remus’ closet— and in the same face-down starfish position he was in on the living room rug. This time, however, he was laying atop Remus’ faux fur blanket that Lily gifted him for his birthday, and his limbs were rubbing back and forth against it, like he was making a snow angel.
Remus cleared his throat and placed the water and plate on the desk. “I got you something.”
Sirius’ movements halted suddenly and he flipped over, propping himself up on his elbows and staring at Remus. “I love your blanket!”
“I can tell-“
“Fuck!” He interrupted and brought a hand up to rub against his forehead, thinking before snapping his fingers and pointing at Remus excitedly, “Th-Thank you!”
Remus smiled brightly and laughed, “Yes! Good job, Sirius!”
The pale boy cheered, his arms shooting above his head once more, and slid off the bed, walking over to the desk and standing next to Remus.
They stood in silence for a beat, both staring at each other with small grins, before Remus looked away and turned to the door. “I'll be back later, remember you can watch TV, just don't make it too loud.”
He started turning the door knob but a cold hand around his wrist stopped him. “Wait, Remus!”
Remus turned back around and looked at the boy. “I don't know how to use the TV..”
After giving Sirius a small tutorial on how to operate a remote, he finally joined his friends, who briefly questioned his whereabouts before dropping the subject and going back to dancing and drinking.
Remus was never a fan of dancing, but watching people dance and laugh always made him happy. It was only eleven o'clock, but he was already tired as hell.
“How's it going, Rem?” Lily asked, plopping herself down next to him and Minnie. She had some sort of cocktail in one hand and a cookie in the other.
“Good. Works been a lot with the holidays but my manager is going to give us a week off.” He sipped on his drink, which was some mix of all the drinks from the kitchen that Barty handed him. He grimaced at the sour taste that was struggling to slide down his throat, he could already feel the hangover.
She nodded silently and turned her head to the side and faced Pandora and Evan who were sharing a cigarette before turning back towards him. “D-Do you know if Panda likes girls?”
Remus’ eyes widened in shock. Pandora was a beautiful girl, with long, blonde dreads falling down her back, and a sort of fairy-like aura always surrounding her, so it wasn't much of a surprise that someone would like her. But Lily? That surprised Remus. The last known crush that Lily had was on James, but that flew by quickly.
“Why don't you ask her? You guys are friends,” Remus replied, turning to face Lily. She looked oddly shy.
She peeked up at him through her eyelashes and sweeped a curled piece of hair behind her ear and smiled. “Do you think I have a—“ Her eyes suddenly locked onto the space behind Remus’ head.
He turned around to see what she was looking at, but there was only Pandora and Barty leaning against the wall chatting. Pandora had that same aura around her, making her almost pop out against the wall. She had on a white babydoll dress that had custom flower embroidery all around it and a pair of jeans underneath, which should've looked outdated, but looked amazing on her.
“What?” He asked, turning back to face the ginger.
“I swear I saw something..”
“It was probably just Barty being stupid.. Now go talk to Pandora.”
She nodded hesitantly before getting up and walking over to the two, Barty made a haste to leave them alone and went over to bother Evan instead.
Everyone had someone, Remus noticed. He was the only one alone. If only Sirius was there to keep him company.
Two more hours passed and Remus found himself on the balcony once more, this time alone, smoking his second blunt and drinking a ‘surprise’ drink, courtesy of Barty again.
It was almost time for him to check on the brothers again, but he knew if he stepped foot into his bedroom he wouldn’t be able to leave.
They could wait for one more hour, right?
He knew that Barty and Evan had to open their shop in the morning, so they would have to leave soon. So, that also means that Peter, Pandora, and Dorcas would follow with them. If Peter left, so would Marlene and Mary, who also needed to help Barty and Evan with the shop, and probably Lily. Remus just had to pray that Barty would leave as soon as possible. He was getting tired.
No one joined him outside, and he would have felt lonely, but for some reason he didn’t. He thought of Regulus, his curiosity for religion and his love for sugar, and it made him smile. There were so many questions swarming in his head that he wanted to ask the boy, but he just had to be patient.
Soon enough, the two brothers would have to get jobs or something, as their two bedroom flat couldn’t afford to have four people, but that was a problem for later Remus.
Once the voices inside began to quiet down and drift out, he decided to come back inside. Most of their friends had left, but Lily appeared to be passed out on the couch.
He draped a blanket over her shoulders and took her boots off for her and left for the kitchen. James looked drunk as hell, but he was still awake and thriving, or at least trying to. He was currently throwing away cups and plates and putting away leftover food.
Remus watched him until he finished. “Lils is asleep on the couch.”
“Yeah, I guess that means me and Reg are having a sleepover!” He shouted back, talking way too loud for this time at night.
“I bet he will love that.” Remus murmured back.
“Who wouldn't love sharing a bed with me?”
Remus just raised his eyebrows and shook his head. “Quiet down and brush your teeth.”
James snickered and walked past Remus, bumping his shoulder lightly. “Alright, Daddy Remus.”
Remus groaned as quietly as he could manage and rubbed a tired hand over his face. He walked out of the kitchen, turning off the light as he went, and walked back into the living room. He locked the balcony door and turned the rest of the lights, leaving the flat in a cloak of darkness.
He walked into the small hallway and slipped into the bathroom just as James was leaving. “Good luck with him.”
James mocked him under his breath before taking a deep breath in preparation and walking into his room, the door shutting silently behind him.
Remus quickly brushed his teeth and did his bathroom routine before looking at himself once more in the mirror. His scars seemed to be getting darker and his freckles more prominent, which was strange for the winter. His hair was frizzy and messy, much in need of a trim, and he ran a hand through it which just made it worse. He would have to ask Mary to fix his hair up, the mullet was outgrown anyway.
He sighed slowly before splashing cold water at his face and leaving the bathroom. He slowly opened his bedroom door and realized the TV was off and the fairy lights were on. Sirius was still on his bed, but this time he had on a band shirt that he stole from Remus.
The long haired boy smiled at him before getting up and sitting on the end of the bed. “You are back!”
“That I am..” Remus replied quietly as he walked over to his dresser and rummaged around for a change of clothes.
It was silent for a beat before the bed creaked with Sirius’ movement. He was now sitting on his calves at the end of the bed and leaning forward on his hands, watching Remus from behind as he pulled out a plaid pair of pajama pants.
“How was the party?”
“Alright.”
“You smell strongly.”
“Thanks.”
“Maybe I could come to the next one–“
“Sirius, could you stop watching me for a second? I need to change.”
Sirius froze, staring at Remus with his wide eyes before nodding and flopping down backwards onto his stomach.
Remus didn't mean to get angry, he was just tired, drunk, high, and was yearning for sleep. “Oh, I forgot to say, you are sleeping in here tonight.”
“Really? Your bed is so soft..” He replied, sounding dazed.
Remus finished changing and climbed into bed, nudging Sirius lightly to scoot over. He compiled and slid his body over while looking up at Remus, watching him as he climbed under the covers. He mimicked his movements and snuggled up like a little animal under the beige duvet.
Remus turned the fairy lights off and plugged his phone in before turning onto his side. Sirius was already watching him, also laying on his side, his face illuminated and his skin glowing even more white from the pale moonlight shining through his sheer curtains.
The taller boy felt bolder than usual, and began speaking before he could even think of what to say. “You- You mentioned going on, ‘missions’.. What were they?”
Sirius’ eyes flickered with something that Remus couldn't understand and he looked down at the pillow his face was resting on. “Certain Stellas.. like my family.. were more smart and superior to the rest. I never liked the systems we went by, but that's how it always was up there. We were always interested in how you Humans operated.. and we knew we were not being sneaky enough, so we found out a way to disguise ourselves but still find out more about Humans. So, the trusted families would be sent down to investigate certain things..”
His voice started to fade away as he spoke, and it wavered a little before he looked up at Remus, who nodded in encouragement. “Most of the time a special chip would get inserted into our brains that gave us a motive and more power to disguise ourselves. After the missions the machines would extract the important memoires and throw away the unimportant ones.. But sometimes certain memories would slip through the cracks and stay..
“It was all my fault– me and Reg getting kicked out that is.. I got too interested in the Human life and dragged him with me. The day it happened was after a mission and the memories were getting taken.. But this time my mother was doing it. She already suspected things after she caught Reg with a journal, so she took matters into her own hands. Obviously, she found the ones of you.. of us following you.. And she had enough.”
Remus took a deep breath and took the information in. All this advanced technology surprised him, but it also confused him. He thought of so many more things to ask, but he could only bring himself to say one of the questions. “Are you guys the only ones to get kicked out?”
That brought a small smile to Sirius’ face, which surprised Remus. “No.. There were eight before us, but we only knew two personally.”
“Maybe we could find them..” Remus responded, sleep taking over his words.
Sirius smiled wider and nodded enthusiastically. “I hope so.”
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Remus woke up with a bruising headache and a chill down his spine. No matter how much he tried, he could not force himself back to sleep, which was not surprising as he probably slept for almost half the day. So, he just laid in his bed for what must have been an hour before he decided it was time to get out of bed.
The sun was shining brightly into his window, and he could feel Minnie laying on his stomach, a hint of her black hair was peeking through the bottom of his vision and he smiled. He brought a hand to her body but recoiled when he felt it. The hair was thicker and curlier than usual. I must really be out of it, he thought, but ignored the strange feeling of his cat's hair. He brought his hand back up and started to pet it slowly, reminiscing on the memories from the night before.
He remembered the smoke curling through the air and the smell of strong alcohol in his cup. He also remembered a fuck ton of tension cutting through the room. Pandora and Lily hit it off, he wasn't yet sure if it was romantic for Pandora, but nevertheless he was happy for Lily. Barty and Evan also seemed more touchy than usual, but that was probably because of the weed.
James was also being very bold, taking his role as host very seriously, but Remus assumed that was also because of the weed. Or his new recipe being successful. Either way, he was happy that his friends all enjoyed themselves.
However, he was scared shitless at the fact that Marlene thought he had a new girlfriend. He prayed to the stars above that she wouldn't tell Mary, but he knew that the chances of her accidentally saying something were high.
Minnie was being more quiet than usual, and she was really cold, which scared Remus. He hoped she didn't have the flu.. He slowly lifted his body and looked down at his cat, but his eyes widened when he realised that it was in fact not his cat and it was in fact Sirius. A very awake Sirius, who was now grinning slyly at Remus.. a very shirtless Sirius.. a VERY glittery Sirius..
Remus must've been staring for way too long at the boy who was laying in his lap, as Sirius cleared his throat and looked at Remus expectantly. “Like what you see?”
This made Remus jump out of bed, shoving Sirius off him as he practically threw himself at his desk, which he now realized had Minnie perched on it, watching the interaction. His sudden movement confused Sirius, as his face shifted from a grin, to a look of surprise, and finally to a pout.
Remus groaned and ran a hand over his face. “It is too early for this, I am going to shower.”
Sirius’ got very excited when he said this and sat up straight. “Can I come?” He asked enthusiastically.
To say Remus’ jaw dropped would be an understatement. It practically fell to the floor, and he felt his cheeks heating up along with it. He attempted to respond, but all that came out was an incomprehensible jumble of words.
“No!” Remus ended up spitting out.
“Why not?” Sirius whined.
The brown haired boy grabbed a towel off the doorknob and opened the door, leaving Sirius alone on his bed. “Because, that's weird.”
He heard footsteps behind him as he opened the bathroom door. “It was in that magazine you have though..”
His hand halted its movements and he slowly turned to Sirius, who looked smug. A small giggle left the shorter boy's lips and he smirked up at Remus who just stood there staring at him like a fish out of water.
“Y-You..” He tried.
“Take your time, Remus.”
Remus groaned and turned back around, finally entering the bathroom before looking back at Sirius over his shoulder. “Go feed Minnie and get food, you can shower after me.” He didn't wait for the boy's response before he slammed the door shut.
The warm water cascading down his back was comforting and slightly eased his hangover. It felt all too good to be true. He rubbed James’ fancy curl shampoo into his hair and it bubbled up around his fingers, making him feel like a little kid taking a bath. James always scolded him after he used his products, but it defined the curls in his hair and made him look very ‘handsome’ according to Lily.
He was rinsing the shampoo bubbles out of his hair when he heard a loud scream come from the living room. His head snapped down and shampoo slid into his eye, making him shout as well. It burned terribly, but the scream from the living room was still the only thing on his mind.
He jumped out of the shower and threw a towel around his waist, shampoo still in his hair. He threw open the bathroom door and practically ran through the beaded curtain and into the living room, but a body blocked his path.
Remus had run right into Sirius’ body, who was standing next to a very shocked looking Regulus. Sirius turned around to face Remus, who was still scrunching his eyes from the burn of the shampoo, and looked at him with a scared face. His eyes tracked up and down Remus’ body, halting slightly at where the towel hung low on his hips, before looking back up at him. “You didn't tell me one of your friends was here…”
Oh fuck. Remus had totally forgotten about Lily. His eyes shot open, despite the shampoo residue still stinging them, and he peeked behind Sirius to find a very scared Lily hiding behind a throw pillow.
“Hey Lily..” He grumbled, bracing himself for the wrath which was a hungover Lily.
“DON'T YOU DARE ‘Hey Lily’ ME,” she mocked, hurling the pillow at him, causing Sirius to step to the side.
He winced when the pillow hit him, but he knew he deserved it. He could imagine how Lily felt when she woke up to Sirius and Regulus for the first time, as he reacted very similarly. “I can explain..” He started, holding his hands out in front of him in surrender.
“You better get started, Remus John..” She sat up straight this time and tied her wild hair up with a scrunchie before turning to look at Sirius. “You - go make me a cuppa.”
Sirius nodded hastily and turned around, dragging a quiet Regulus with him. “Yes ma’am.”
She motioned her head to the empty spot next to her on the couch and Remus walked over. He plopped down and remembered his current state of dress and scrunched his nose. He made a move to grab the blanket to cover himself, but Lily slapped his hand away.
“Hey!” He shouted lightly.
She looked at him angrily and shook her head. “Explain yourself.”
He adjusted the towel around his waist and began his story. “Remember how I told you that I felt very paranoid?” She nodded. “Turns out it was because of them.. following me. They are aliens.. And live here now..”
Lily nodded her head slowly and Remus thought he was free to go, but that was far from the truth. “You expect me to believe that those two men are aliens?”
“Lily, they have white skin and swirly eyes! What else could they be?”
“Hookers?”
“God no!”
Her voice lowered. “How long have they been here?”
“Since Friday..”
She shook her head once more and got up. “This is insane.”
“Imagine how we feel..” He watched her as she strutted into the kitchen where the two brothers were preparing her coffee and hoped that the three would remain civil. He quickly walked back to the bathroom and washed the leftover shampoo out as fast as he could. After changing back into his pajamas, he walked into the kitchen to find Lily, Regulus, and Sirius all staring at each other in silence.
Lily was slowly sipping on her coffee, regarding the two boys like they were dirt on the bottom of her shoe. The two of them stood in the kitchen, leaning against the island, and Regulus looked calm and collected. Sirius, on the other hand, looked like he was about to die of embarrassment.
Their heads all snapped towards him, and he felt awkward under their collective gaze. “It appears that you were telling the truth.” Lily said, “Please teach Sirius and Regulus how to take care of their curls.”
Sirius nodded in agreement, but he still looked sheepishly shy. Regulus also nodded, but he looked more confident. “Did you scare my new roommates, Lils?”
She smirked at this and looked back at the brothers. “The one on the left is a little pushy..” Sirius made a mock offended face at this. “But the other one is tolerable.”
“He doesn't talk though?”
“Exactly, he knows how a man should act.” She smiled and placed her mug down. “Anyway, I have places to be.”
Remus nodded and led her to the door, making sure she had all her stuff with her before walking her to her car. “Don't tell the others, yeah?” He said.
She nodded curtly, but Remus could tell she was debating whether or not she should listen to him.
“I will tell them eventually,” he began, making sure she understood, “I just don't want them to freak out and scare them off.”
“You didn't respond to James and Peter for 3 months despite sharing a dorm with them at school, but you let these two stalker aliens stay in your house? I know what's happening, Lupin, don't try to hide from me.” Lily finished getting into her car and slammed the door in Remus’ face. He stood there in shock for a second before she rolled down her window, her sunglasses low on her nose. “You are digging your own grave, Remus.”
He nodded in agreement and watched as she backed out of the parking lot and left.
When he returned to the flat, the bathroom door was open and the shower was softly streaming. He peaked his head in cautiously and saw Regulus and Sirius both staring confusedly at the water. “You guys need help?”
They jumped at the sound of his voice, but Sirius nodded quickly and waved Regulus off, who happily left.
Remus walked up to the shower and stood next to Sirius. “Watch what I do.” He twisted the knobs to the right and put his hand under the water, feeling the temperature. “Does this feel okay?”
Sirius stuck a shaky hand out and under the water, a light gasp left his mouth as he felt it for the first time. “So warm..”
He turned his head to Remus and smiled, nodding rapidly at the feeling on his palm. “Now what?” He inquired.
Remus cleared his throat and stepped away from the shower. “Now, you undress and get under the water.” Sirius’ eyes widened and he began to pull his shirt over his head. “Wait! Not when I am here, that is not customary among humans.”
The boy blushed lightly and smiled shyly, a light giggle leaving his mouth. “Once under the water, rub the products into your hair, not the one called ‘soap’, only shampoo and conditioner. Wash your body with the soap. When you finish that, turn off the water by twisting the knobs to the left then dry off with the towel. I’ll leave some clothes on my bed for when you finish.”
Sirius nodded once more, the smile still on his face. He looked so excited. “Thank you Remus!”
He ducked his head in return and turned around, leaving the bathroom and closing the door behind him. Regulus was now sitting on the couch, journal in hand and books next to him. He looked up at Remus as he sat down on the couch next to him, but went back to his journal after a second. Remus pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked his notifications.
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evan rosier
Wanna bring me, Marls, and bats some ramen later?
prongs
mum Wnats me 2 open shop.. doNOT forget ab Evans on conch
cherry
Ur lucky i didnt spill the beans to Marys last nite, but i make no promises 4 the future
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He responded to James and Marlene quickly - telling James how Lily knew about the brothers now and thanking Marlene for keeping her mouth shut. He decided to agree to bring Marlene and the boys ramen, as it would also ease his hangover.
“Hey, I'm gonna go out soon, wanna come?” He asked Regulus cautiously, who looked at him curiously before shrugging and writing down.
If Sirius goes I will
“I'll ask him, let me go get dressed.” Thankfully, Sirius was only getting out of the shower when he finished dressing, so there weren't any awkward incidents again. Once he finished changing into normal jeans and a sweater, he got out some clothes for Sirius to wear. He decided on just a pair of black jeans and a hoodie, as they were both from his school days and therefore were smaller.
When he walked back into the living room, he heard the bathroom door open and Sirius’ wet feet pad across the hallway into his room. Regulus was still wearing the same clothes, however. “Do you want me to get you some clothes from James’ closet?”
The boy nodded his head gratefully and got up, leaving his journal on the couch, and walking to James’ room. Remus trailed behind him and threw open James’ closet before opening a few drawers and getting a simple outfit out.
“We can take you guys shopping for human clothes soon.. but this will do for now.” He handed Regulus a black pair of sweatpants and a navy Adidas track jacket, which reminded Remus of Noel Gallagher. Both of the items were too small for James, so he hoped they would fit Regulus’ figure. He placed the clothes, along with some boxers and socks, on the bed and left Regulus to his own devices, going to wait in the living room.
Sirius was now sitting on the couch, his wet hair in pretty coils around his face, and a smile on his lips. He looked adorable in Remus’ clothes. They fit him a little too big, but looked perfect. He found some mismatched socks, which were also fuzzy, and he looked giddy to be surrounded by warmth. “Want to go out with me and Regulus? You would have to put up the disguises..” Remus asked.
“Yes! I would love to!!” He exclaimed, jumping up off the couch and into his slides from the first night he came. At the same time, Regulus came out in the new clothes and shook his head, making Sirius’ eyes snap up to meet his. Sirius nodded slowly after a moment and slipped out of the slides before putting his feet into his brother's boots instead. “Regulus said the boots would go better with my outfit.”
“He would be right about that, now let's be on our way.”